Justice
Mapping the Lasting Effects of Redlining
Old federal maps and recent Census data combine to show how today's poverty rates align with racist 1930s mortgaging policies.
Neighborhood by neighborhood, the HOLC gathered reams of information: terrain, type and age of buildings, sales and rental demand, and about the "threat of infiltration of foreign-born, negro, or lower grade population." Then they mapped this data, using a color code to delineate neighborhoods, from desirable "hot spots" in green to "high risk" blocks in red.